


The Strings

by Do_not_careissa



Series: JayKyle Week 2020 [4]
Category: DCU, Green Lantern (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Getting Together, Jason Todd can't Die, JayKyle Week 2020, M/M, Pre-Slash, Searching, Soulmates, White Lantern Kyle Rayner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:40:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26789830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Do_not_careissa/pseuds/Do_not_careissa
Summary: Of all the things Kyle expected when he became the White Lantern, this was not one of them. Strings stretching out across the universe to create an intricate, multicolored web, and only he can see it. Or so he thinks.
Relationships: Kyle Rayner/Jason Todd
Series: JayKyle Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953484
Comments: 5
Kudos: 176





	The Strings

**Author's Note:**

> For JayKyle week 2020 soulmates

He’d never seen the strings before.

Really, no one had. There were stories, some old legends spread out across the universe, some even originating from Earth. But the sight, the ability to see these strings, it was lost, or at least it seemed that way.

Of all the things Kyle expected to happen when he became the White Lantern, of all the powers he assumed he’d gain, he could never have expected something like this.

Strings emerging from everyone’s chests, stretching out, sometimes across a room, across a city, other times across a planet or even the universe. It all created a large, intricate, multicolored web that Kyle had couldn’t explain. Wherever these strings went they always ended at another person, flowing into someone else’s chest, creating one long string that connected two hearts together. He didn’t understand what it meant, how could he? He’d never seen such a thing before, no one had. He wanted to understand, really he did, but he just couldn’t.

Until he did.

Two Lanterns with one string shared between them announced their engagement to the rest of the Green Lantern Corps and with that celebration the puzzle started to make sense. What they were, what they signified, why everyone had one, why each seemed unique in one way or another. And it explained why Kilowog’s string, along with so many others’, was cut or non-existent. It finally made sense.

So these were strings of love then, or even strings of fate. Surely that was it.

And with that revelation came a surge of excitement. Finally, he could find  _ the  _ one, the person he was destined to be with, to love and cherish forever. They didn’t call him a romantic for nothing. 

But every time he met with someone he believed could be at the other end of his string, he was met with disappointment. Jen, Donna, Soranik, hell he even checked Hal and Guy and John and Carol and all the other Lanterns just to be safe. Nothing.

He thought maybe, just maybe, it had been Alex. But his string was still there, long and pure and stretching out into the distance, taunting him with its existence. If it wasn’t anyone he was thinking of, then who?

He’d confessed his struggle to Hal one night, alcohol loosening his tongue as he followed the path of Hal’s string across the room. Hal’s string was different from the others. It was quite odd really. It began from his chest, just as they all did, his a bright, vibrant emerald green, but a few feet out it changed abruptly. It almost looked like there was a second string looped into his, like his thread was too short so a second strand was used to bridge the distance.

His green string looked like it had not so much been cut as ripped apart. But the white string held it, connecting him to what Kyle could only describe as his other half, wherever they were, mending the wounded string and making it whole again.

Hal offered his numerous deaths as an explanation. If what Kyle said was true then his deaths must have severed his string, right? And dying multiple times must have really messed it up. But then he came back and his string had to accommodate for that separation. So the white thread looped around the frayed ends of his torn and green one and was most likely looped around the broken end someone else’s too. 

It was sad really, and as much as Kyle wished others saw this, in a way he was glad they couldn’t. For how beautiful the strings were, how reassuring it was to know the universe had someone waiting for him, seeing them all hurt. He’d had to excuse himself the first time he saw John after realizing what a cut string meant. Seeing John’s string, a deep forest green mixed with shades of indigo, hanging limply against his chest, the end blackened and cut, left Kyle sobbing and loathing the universe that would take away something so precious from someone so kind and compassionate.

The same thing happened when he went to Mogo in search of Bro’dee, hoping for answers or at least understanding. But there laid a thin blue string, short and cut, hanging below the Blue Lantern’s emblem, a reminder of the wife he’d lost so long ago.

Kyle grew to hate this ability, this sight, so much. Constantly surrounded by the knowledge that there was someone out there for him, someone waiting, but he didn’t know who, and he didn’t know where they were. He was constantly bombarded by the sight of so many cut or burnt or rotting strings, letting him know how quickly it could all be taken away. He knew it was possible, just as any death was possible, but the idea that he might never even meet this person, this person that the universe had  _ made _ for him, that they could be ripped away before he even knew their name was maddening.

He was sent back to Earth with orders of rest, but it felt more like a punishment than a vacation. Every time he looked down, there was a string. Every time he met someone he found his eyes trailing down to their string first, looking to see if this was  _ the one _ or if his search would have to continue.

Three weeks into his torture his string pulled taut. Excitement rushed through him, the idea that  _ they _ might be close fueling him to chase the string, to find its source one way or another. That excitement turned to panic as it started to shred. His blood ran cold as he began to run, pushing through the busy New York streets, hoping and praying this wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening, no!

By the time he was in the sky it was already too late, his string’s end torn as the rest faded out of existence. His wails of heartbreak pulled the attention of every eye, his pain broadcasted for all to see.

Hal made it back to Earth in record time, Jessica and Simon’s panicked calls pushing him faster. In all that time Kyle barely moved an inch from his spot in the Watchtower’s medical wing. Hal didn’t care for his tears or how tightly he’d curled into himself, he just pulled Kyle close and whispered words of comfort and understanding.

He was barely responsive for three days. His eyes kept trailing down to the string, tracing the pattern it made on his bedsheets. It was longer than the other cut strings he’s seen, but he could only assume that was because his was new, fresh. Perhaps the longer this went on for the shorter it would become.

That idea was thrown away another two days later as a white string slipped into his room, wrapping around the ruined ends of his own white string before settling. He gave the string a cursory tug, testing its resilience, only to see it keep hold, the connection staying tight. He could only stare in wonder at the little slip knot that had been created, a small bump in an otherwise seamless string.

Except it wasn’t.

Upon closer inspection Kyle saw this wasn’t the only knot, there were at least two others he hadn’t seen, possibly more, but the white of his own string had kept him from seeing it.

Dread made its home in his chest. How rare of an occurrence was this? How many times had his other half seemingly died only to come back? Did they have a medical condition? A heart murmur? Respiration issues? Something wasn’t right.

He  _ needed _ to find them, whoever they were.

Hal had been supportive of following the string while still offering the possibility that it might not work out. The universe didn’t seem to like them much after all, who’s to say it would let him just follow his string?

He understood that risk, understood how much the universe seemed to despise them, how much it liked to toy with them. But he had to try, he just had to. He had this sight for a  _ reason _ damn it.

So he flew, collecting the string on his arm as he went, determined to find them. He  _ had _ to, he _ just had to _ .

The island he found was remote, one he’d never seen before, and oh so beautiful. The mix between the island itself and the random bits of alien and human technology added a nice touch. At least his other half had taste.

And friends it seemed.

He hadn’t even taken two steps onto the sand before he was tackled by a behemoth of a man with gray tinted skin. Upon closer inspection, Kyle could only stare in confusion as the distorted face of Superman looked back. An Amazon was right behind him, an axe in hand and a gleam in her eye that Kyle wanted nothing to do with.

Looking down revealed neither were connected to him, leaving him at least a little calmer. He was sure they were great people, definitely, but he couldn’t imagine being tied to either of them, not with that kind of first impression.

The next surprise came in the form of Roy Harper, his eyes cold as he demanded Kyle explain himself. Kyle wouldn’t have minded being tied to Roy, they were already friends, they knew each other well enough, and Kyle had to admit Roy was more than a little easy on the eyes. He could live with that, absolutely. But their strings weren’t connected.

By the time he explained everything Roy had set down his bow and arrow, and the Amazon had similarly set aside her axe, although her look of distrust remained.

Soulmates Roy called it. Did Kyle actually think he’d find his  _ soulmate _ here?

It was such a normal question, something anyone would ask, but the way Roy said it, the stiff way he sat when Kyle mentioned following his string, the guarded way he spoke. He knew something. Kyle just couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t say what it was.

The question was answered as two more figures emerged. Koriand’r took in his appearance, his tired eyes and exhausted stance, and looked to their last member for confirmation.

Whatever Jason said went over Kyle’s head, his eyes trained on the white string emerging from a scarred and bandaged chest. He took in the white string that ran along the ground, the slip knots in its form, how it flowed into Kyle’s own chest.

His lips moved on their own, forming words without his permission.

“It’s you.”

Kyle’s whisper was deafening.

The others fell silent, watching with baited breath as Jason made his way over to them with Kori’s help. A leg was in a cast, an arm covered in wrappings as were parts of his chest and stomach. His hair had been shaved, letting Kyle see where his head had been burnt. What the hell happened?

Jason came to a stop before him, large and imposing and by god it had been far too long since Kyle had seen him. He watched Kyle, his eyes hard and searching. 

“You see them,” he finally said, his eyes stopping at Kyle’s chest before they returned. “The strings.”

“Yes.”

Kyle didn’t understand the pained look that crossed his face. This was cause for celebration, right? They were attached, the universe wanted them together. Soulmates, right? They’d found each other! Why did he look so upset? 

Wait a minute.

“How do you know about the strings?” Kyle asked skeptically. No one else could see them, no one. Of the hundreds if not thousands of people he’d interacted with since getting this power not one saw these things, so how the hell did Jason fucking Todd, normal human turned zombie extraordinaire, know about them?

As it turned out, death changed more than just your outlook on life. 

After his resurrection and later dump in the Lazarus Pits, Jason apparently began to see the strings. Much like with Kyle, the sight was wonderful at first, until it wasn’t. He’d already been mentally unstable, waking up in your grave and being dumped in the Lazarus Pits will do that to you. Adding on the stress of seeing these things only made it worse. That’s when he’d been shipped off to the All Caste, and where he’d finally begun to understand and accept them. 

“We don’t have to do anything about this,” Jason said. The others had left a while ago, finally accepting that Kyle wasn’t there to start something or to take Jason away. But Jason was avoiding eye contact, staring into the distant ocean. “It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

Kyle was confused, oh so confused. Of course it meant something! Who the hell says shit like that? Honestly? 

But memories crept up, memories of the multiverse, of a younger Jason, and of Kyle’s own arrogance. For how excited Kyle was to finally find his soulmate, how must it have felt for Jason to see him that first time, to have that kind of fucked up meeting? And then to spend months together, to keep fighting and to see Kyle fawning over Donna. God, no wonder he believed Kyle wouldn’t want anything to do with this, with him.

He reached out for Jason’s hand, careful not to be too sudden so as not to freak him out. His fingers were rough beneath his, the skin thick and hard from years of fighting and training and surviving. He lifted the hand up, aware of Jason’s gaze as he brought the hand closer. 

Jason had the ability to see these strings for years, had probably had his hopes and dreams shattered upon meeting the person on the other end of his string. Fuck, Kyle was an idiot, wasn’t he? 

And if Jason ever mentioned the strings, if he ever told anyone about them, what would they do? Would they call him crazy? Lock him away and throw away the key? Take advantage of him and his sight, whether for personal gain or to have blackmail on someone else? Kyle could tell whoever he wanted about this sight and they’d believe him. Jason never had that opportunity, did he?

He kissed Jason’s knuckles, relishing in the spark he felt at the physical contact, at the humming in their string. “I want it to mean something,” he said. “I want to try.”

Jason let out a long sigh, his eyes closed as he worried his lip. He finally looked back at Kyle with those beautiful eyes of his. “I can work with that.”

Kyle couldn’t remember the last time he felt so happy, let alone so light. 

The strings made sense, they all made sense.

It wasn’t a guarantee, but he’d make the most of this. 

**Author's Note:**

> And we have day four, woo. If you haven't been checking out the other amazing creators contributing to jaykyle week 2020 definitely do that. I'm loving all of it, go get some good jaykyle content y'all.  
> For anyone interested, I'm on tumblr [ do_not_careissa ](https://do-not-careissa.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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